Urgent call for an Ebola truce in DR Congo
A group of global health experts has issued an urgent call for an immediate Ebola truce in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), following the emergence of a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in a region heavily affected by conflict and displacement.
Published as a correspondence in The Lancet, the call highlights that the outbreak represents not only a biomedical emergency but also a major challenge for global health diplomacy. With more than 2.1 million internally displaced people in North Kivu and Ituri, access to vulnerable communities remains difficult due to insecurity, armed groups, and disrupted health services.
The proposed Ebola truce is intended as a limited operational agreement to facilitate public health interventions and humanitarian access. The correspondence emphasizes the need for:
- Safe passage for health workers, patients, burial teams, and laboratory samples;
- Protection of health facilities and Ebola treatment centres;
- Uninterrupted disease surveillance, contact tracing, and risk communication activities;
- Protection of local journalists who play a critical role in combating misinformation.
The authors stress that diplomacy should be considered an integral component of the epidemiological response, enabling access, trust-building, and the circulation of reliable information in conflict-affected areas.
For more information, please consult the full correspondence published in The Lancet.